


the big awoo

by etoilette



Series: AU-gust 2020 [19]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe, Catboy Kurusu Akira, Dogboy Akechi Goro, M/M, Minor Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:21:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26019472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilette/pseuds/etoilette
Summary: It’s Goro’s first day at a cafe down the street from Leblanc and Sojiro swears by the cafe owner. He’s a nice man, who is eager for an extra pair of helping hands, and no, he won’t make Goro carry anything too heavy, and no, he won’t make Goro wear anything too weird. So Akira doesn’t need to tag along. Really.ORIt's Goro's first day working at a cafe other than Leblanc, and Akira is worried!! What if someone tries to kidnap him? What if someone tries to proposition him? The only logical conclusion is tagging along to protect him.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: AU-gust 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860436
Comments: 8
Kudos: 86





	the big awoo

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day #19 of AU-gust, which was supposed to be 19th Century AU, but I used my joker and turned it into the pupkechi and kittykira AU. This is based off the AU by [reveriesky](https://twitter.com/reveriesky) and the Notion document for more information is [here](https://www.notion.so/Pupkechi-and-Kittykira-AU-da1dc5a533454159ad480fce94e2559a)! 
> 
> It's a bit of a long read but it's SO worth it. It's an instant burst of serotonin to read the dynamic between the two, and of course, it also has Sora's lovely art too! If you want to read this and then read the Notion after, the TL;DR is a childhood friends AU in a world where everyone is an animal hybrid, whether low instinct or high instinct. Akira is a high-instinct cat hybrid who is aware of his own infatuation on his bonded mate Goro, who is a low-instinct dog hybrid!
> 
> Please read through the Notion when you have the time!!

“You really don’t need to get a job, Goro,” Akira wheedles, grabbing onto the back of Goro’s freshly ironed dress shirt. “Sojiro doesn’t care about  _ rent _ .”

“Sojiro-san, you mean,” Goro grouses back. He is walking so fast he’s practically jogging down the street. It’s like he’s trying to shake Akira off his tail, but when Akira is so close he’s a hair’s breadth away from stomping onto Goro’s actual tail, it’s a bit of a herculean task.

It’s Goro’s first day at a cafe down the street from Leblanc and Sojiro swears by the cafe owner. He’s a nice man, who is eager for an extra pair of helping hands, and no, he won’t make Goro carry anything too heavy, and no, he won’t make Goro wear anything too weird. So Akira doesn’t need to tag along. Really.

But how could Akira just stay in Leblanc, all alone without Goro, for hours? Sojiro doesn’t count since he’s always busy working. Akira remembers the year when Goro started school and Akira was definitely  _ not _ allowed to tag along, how he would sit around at home nervous and anxious. 

At least if it’s a cafe, he can make sure Goro doesn’t get kidnapped or laughed at or anything. He’s not sure what he would do if someone really tries to grab Goro, but if he lets himself get grabbed by them as well, they can at least be together.

The cafe is bigger than Leblanc, with more tables than booths. Leblanc only ever sees two or three customer at a time on a good day, but the cafe has almost ten people inside. They all turn around and smile when they see Goro, and Akira stands in front of him protectively. For some reason that makes them smile even more. 

The kitchen is barely visible from the counter, hidden behind a wall and a large noren. The cafe manager, a bear hybrid, had been polishing a glass but he waves his big hand at them, a warm smile on his face. 

“Hello,” he says. His voice is much friendlier than the gruff tone Sojiro always talks with. 

The more differences Akira notices between this cafe and Leblanc, the more upsetting it is, and he tries to subtly tug at Goro’s shirt again, but Goro waves him off with a swish of his tail.

He bows and says, “Thank you for hiring me on such short notice. I’m Akechi Goro.”

Akira bows low as well. “Thank you for hiring me on such short notice. I’m Kurusu Akira.”

The cafe manager behind the counter hesitates. “I heard Sakura-san was only going to send one helper today? I only set aside the pay for one…”

Goro pushes Akira with his shoulder, his tail smacking angrily against Akira’s. “I apologize,” he says, bowing again. “He’s just my overprotective brother. Please don’t think too much about what he says.”

“Ah.”

Brother? He’s not Goro’s  _ brother _ . He’s his  _ mate _ . 

Akira rubs his own shoulder, which stings from how hard Goro had knocked into him. Goro ignores his angry pout and Akira lets himself be steered into a seat. It’s the one closest to the counter at least, so he can see Goro as he busies himself behind the counter, washing his hands, tying up his hair, putting on his apron. When he emerges from behind the counter with a tray of food in his hand, he looks almost exactly like he does all the time in Leblanc.

“It’s on the house,” Goro says, setting down a plate of hamburg steak and fries, along with a glass of juice. “If you need more, the manager says to tell him but I don’t think you’ll eat anything more than this, right?”

He doesn’t give Akira the chance to reply before smiling and moving on to the next customer.

It’s almost just like how Goro is at home, when he helps out at Leblanc while Akira does his homework in the booth. Without the comforting and warm spice in the air though, it’s just not the same and Akira can’t help himself leaping to his feet and running after Goro, as close as he can. He tries to rub his face and body onto Goro’s so even in an unfamiliar location, Goro can at least smell familiar, but Goro backs off, a frown on his face. 

“I have to work,” he says. “It’s also dangerous to bump into me while I’m holding stuff. Didn’t Sojiro-san tell you that already?”

Sojiro did but they’re not at Leblanc right now. No matter how much Goro tries to make him sit back down, he can’t sit still. He can’t look in all directions from his chair, and sometimes Goro disappears behind the counter or around the corner! He has to make sure that Goro is safe. 

He follows Goro to the counter, then to a table full of giggling women, then back to the counter, then to another table. It’s very monotonous, and around the second trip to the counter, Akira starts getting a little bored. He’s almost tempted to sploot himself down on the ground and  _ force _ Goro to pay attention to him when he hears the table of women start talking in very loud voices.

“Oh, aren’t they cute,” one of them coos to her friend. Their dog tails wag furiously as they watch Goro stand on tippy toes to grab a tray of drinks from the counter before walking towards a table of bird hybrids, who have a similarly starstruck expression on their faces. 

One of them takes out her phone and aims the camera at Goro, obviously meaning to take a picture.

No! Goro is  _ his _ to look at, not anyone else’s!

Akira runs as fast as he can and stands in front of Goro, spreading his arms out as wide and making sure they couldn’t see any part of him with the camera. His little body is trembling with the effort of stretching out, but he’ll put up with anything. It does, however, have the unfortunate side effect of making Goro bump into him when he turns around. 

“Akira,” Goro whines, rubbing his nose. He must have hit it when his face crashed into the back of Akira’s head. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to protect you!” Akira exclaims. Why doesn’t Goro get it?

He can hear the tittering of the cafe and he presses his ears flat against his head. Goro has the audacity to roll his eyes and start pushing him back towards the table. He doesn’t look angry but there is a small growl building in Goro’s throat.

To Akira’s dismay, he starts to hear the clicking of shutters all around him. Practically every patron in the cafe is aiming their smartphones at them and he tries to turn around to embrace Goro just so he can keep Goro to himself. 

Goro growls even louder. He grabs Akira and practically pushes him back towards his table by the counter. Over Goro’s shoulder, Akira can see the cafe manager stifling a grin with his big hand and he wonders what’s so funny about him trying to look out for his mate.

“Here,” Goro says, sounding frustrated. He plunks Akira down into the uncomfortably large chair and taps the table next to the barely-touched hamburg steak and juice that Goro had given him earlier. “Eat this and wait for me. My shift isn’t very long.”

Akira sullenly pushes the fries around with his fork, getting it all wet and soggy with the sauce. He doesn’t want to sound like a big baby, especially when Goro is doing his best. But when Goro huffs out a sigh of relief and turns away to go back to his job, Akira can’t resist reaching out and snagging a hand around Goro’s wrist.

“Akira,” Goro sighs. He gently shakes Akira off, who can’t help the distressed squeak. Goro must hear it, since his ears twitch back, but he bustles off. 

Feeling abandoned and morose, Akira pokes at his steak, but he doesn’t get the chance to pout very long because the next thing he knows, he’s enveloped in soft velvety fluff. When he turns his head to see what’s grabbing him, he finds himself looking into the beady eyes of a big teddy bear. 

“The manager has these for people who are lonely or don’t have anyone to sit with,” Goro says. He flashes Akira a smile that clearly indicates he’s very proud of his idea to make Akira feel better. “He’s not the same as the bear we have at home but at least he can keep you company until my shift is over!”

Goro pushes the bear into Akira’s arms and trots off, tail wagging excitedly. Akira buries his face into the teddy’s fur and breathes in hard. Goro’s right when he said it isn’t at all like Akira’s bear at home in Leblanc, which is worn and soft from all the time Akira’s spent snuggling with it. It doesn’t carry the mouthwatering scent of catnip or the enticing aroma of Goro.

He doesn’t realize his tail is whipping around in frustration and irritation until he feels Goro’s familiar touch on it. 

“Akira?”

When Akira removes his face from the teddy he finds himself face to face with Goro again, whose eyebrows are knitted with confusion. 

“Akira, what’s wrong? I thought you like bears.”

Akira shakes his head. “I like the bear we have at home, not just any bear.”

Goro tilts his head to the side. “Is it really that big a difference when there’s catnip in the bear?”

It’s not just the catnip that makes Akira’s bear special, but he shakes his head anyway. The overly clean and sweet smell on the bear’s fur is nothing like anything Akira and Akechi own.

He feels Goro’s hand run softly through his hair, scritching behind his ears. Despite himself, Akira purrs and rubs his head into the palm of Goro’s hand, chasing after the warmth as best as he can. Goro even indulges him and gives the bear a hug, playing along with Akira’s joking worry that he isn’t sure if this cafe’s bear is as friendly as Leblanc’s.

While Goro has his face pressed into the bear’s neck, he uses the chance to glare around at all the other customers, his teeth bared in a hiss in case any of them tried to sneak pictures of Goro snuggling with a teddy bear.

“Just an hour and a half more, okay?” Goro says, handing the bear back to Akira and moving away to continue his job.

Akira watches as Goro bustles about, purring deep in his throat, as he contentedly rubs his face into the bear’s plush fur. He has to really push in to catch Goro’s lingering scent but Akira is used to chasing after him. Sometimes he wishes that he could be the one being chased, just once, but he’s willing to wait until Goro is ready.

He doesn’t know when exactly he falls asleep, but the next thing he knows he’s blearily opening his eyes to someone roughly shaking their shoulders. 

“Akira, wake up!” Goro’s voice sounds in his ear.

He flicks his ear instinctively to chase away the loud noise, and looks up at Goro, who is smiling down at him even though he sounded a little mad earlier. He’s no longer wearing the red apron, and his tail is wagging excitedly behind him.    


“I’m done my shift,” Goro says. “We can go home now if you’d like.”

Home! Going home! The cafe is still full of people but Goro must have been allowed to leave before the sun goes down. Akira scarfs down the cold untouched food as fast as he can without choking, reaches into his pocket and slams down all of his money - 1000 yen. 

“A tip for the best waiter!” Akira yells. He doesn’t care if the other patrons laugh at him, which they do. 

Goro blushes and picks up the money, but then he frowns as if in thought. “The money you gave me is my money too, you know,” he points out. “I’m not actually getting more money.”

He hands it back to Akira, who accepts it sullenly. But the pleased smile on Goro’s face and the delighted wagging of his tail made it worth a try.

They wave goodbye to the manager, and Goro even waves goodbye to the patrons, who all wave back cheerily, and they start on their way home.

The journey to the cafe had been spent trailing miserably behind Goro, with Akira almost stepping on his tail at times as he desperately tried to get Goro to turn back. The journey back homeis heavenly in comparison. Goro and Akira walk next to each other, with Akira taking the side closer to the road, and when he reaches out to hold Goro’s hand, Goro even holds it back! Goro even squeezes! 

Akira can’t stop purring, the sound like a miniature motor, and he sees Goro’s tail wag at the sound too. 

When they get home, Sojiro is just putting the phone down and he smiles up at them. “I hear the two of you were quite popular. Good job, Goro.”

Goro’s tail starts to wag even harder, until Akira has to move away to avoid getting smacked on the butt by it. He runs forward and digs into his pocket, taking out a cat-shaped coin purse and counting out 1200 yen - his pay for the day. 

“Here, Sojiro-san!” Goro says firmly, shoving the money out. “Rent!”

Sojiro counts out 600 yen and pockets it, giving the 600 yen back to him. “If everything we earned goes towards rent, then we wouldn’t be able to have fun or feed ourselves. Use this and buy yourself and Akira something nice to eat.” He ruffles Goro’s head fondly and says, “Good job, Goro.”

Goro looks like he’s barely able to hold himself back from barking with delight, his eyes shining with excitement from the approval. Akira watches, blinking slowly and fondly, as Goro practically inhales Sojiro’s curry, scraping up every last bit of the sauce. They say their goodnights to Sojiro, and clamber upstairs. 

“I’m so tired,” Goro whines, lying down face-first in bed. He drags Akiras bear towards him and presses his face into the catnip-stuffed fish. His ears and tail are both drooping, and Akira purrs with sympathy. 

He settles down next to Goro and starts rubbing his hands into his back, pressing down and kneading as best as he can. He makes sure his purring is loud, hoping his body is vibrating with it, because Goro likes it when he can hear and feel it. 

Within seconds Goro is asleep, too tired from his day. Akira’s ears droop even though he never lets up on the purring - he didn’t get to talk to Goro almost all day! He lays his head on Goro’s back and closes his eyes, soaking up the scent of his mate. 

They’ll just have to make up for it tomorrow.


End file.
